This invention relates to waterbed mattresses and frames, and particularly to a waterbed mattress and frame combination suitable for use with conventional fitted corner bedding.
Waterbeds, or fluid floatation sleeping systems, have become increasingly popular in recent years. A waterbed provides comfortably uniform support to the supine body. However, the basic waterbed has certain disadvantages which have limited the appeal and market. Traditionally, waterbeds have required rigid vertical bulkheads to hold the shape of the fluid filled bladder. Beds having high, rigid sideboards are very uncomfortable to sit on, and it is difficult to get into and out of such a bed. Further, it is extremely difficult to use form fitted conventional sheets and bedding, since the edges of the mattress tend to deform when pressurized unevenly.
Very recently, waterbed designs have been proposed which overcome some of these problems. For example, Intimate Sleep Products of Santa Clara, California, has introduced a waterbed having a foam frame for use with a water mattress. The foam frame includes a rigid bulkhead separating the foam edge from the water mattress to prevent the lateral sag which would be characteristic of a water mattress without adequate lateral support. Unfortunately, the bulkhead protrudes vertically and "bottoms out" adjacent the edge, which is uncomfortable to anyone who is sitting on or resting on or near an edge of the bed, further, the mattress "bottoms out" at the center because of the relatively shallow mattress.
In order to overcome some of these problems and to further provide a structure geared to attract people who prefer conventional furniture and bedding, a number of waterbed structures have been proposed which imitate the appearance and convenience of a conventional mattress and foundation combination. For example, the Watercloud Bed Company of Huntington Beach, California, has developed a frame without rigid sides. The frame includes four separable foam filled-wedge-shaped sides which lock together in position on a deck. A separate safety liner is required, which must be placed within the mattress-receiving cavity of the frame.
A further type of pliant-sided frame is identified as the "Sleeper" by its manufacturer, Custom Designs of Buena Park, California. The frame includes a separable fiberglass base and a separable foam railing which rests on the fiberglass base. Both the "Sleeper" and the Watercloud designs are constructed for use with conventional bedding and appear suitable in a conventional bedroom set.
Both the Watercloud and Custom Designs mattress systems have distinct disadvantages. The "Sleeper", due to its fiberglass base tends to "bottom out" at its edges. Further, the foam railing of both the "Sleeper" and the Watercloud mattress tend to bow under the load of a water mattress. This presents a major problem structurally, and is aesthetically displeasing. Furthermore, both require an additional safety lining.